Why is Blood Test Important as We Age?

 To live your longest and healthiest life possible, our body needs to be periodically tested and recalibrated.

Blood biomarkers—which are the measures of our health status—change over time. They also shift in response to lifestyle factors like our diet, how you move, how you respond to stress, and the quality of your sleep.

Research has identified 5 essential blood biomarkers that correlate strongly with aging. These are as follows:

1. Vitamin D: 

Vitamin D is an important, fat-soluble vitamin that promotes healthy aging. It helps the body absorb calcium, which supports bone strength. Vitamin D supports the body’s immune responses that fight off infection, illness, and inflammation. The immune system gradually declines with age. through a process known as

Studies show that vitamin D acts directly on muscle to increase protein synthesis, enabling increased muscle mass and decreased muscle fiber degradation.

Testosterone plays a role in maintaining muscle mass, strength, and red blood cell production. For males, testosterone levels decrease withage—dropping an average of 1-2% each year after age 40. Low vitamin D status is linked to low testosterone levels in middle-aged men.

Vitamin D supplementation appears to have a beneficial effect on reducing total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.

If your vitamin D is low, you may sleep less or experience less efficient, less restful sleep.

2. C-Reactive Protien High-Sensitivity (hsCRP): 

hsCRP is a general marker of inflammation, indicative of aging. Inflammation plays a critical role in maintaining your body’s immune system and heart function. So it’s responsible for keeping us healthy, but too much or prolonged inflammation is detrimental to health.

Long-term inflammation is associated with age-related chronic diseases like heart disease. Internal inflammation is also connected to oxidative stress and accelerated aging. So, mitigating inflammation should be a priority, as high hsCRP levels can put you at a greater risk of getting sick.

In addition to heart health, research shows a connection between high inflammation levels and risk of developing age-related conditions like metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

Keeping inflammation levels at bay promotes the number of disease-free years of your life, not only contributing to long-life, but also a longer healthspan—the preservation of biological, physical, and mental health as we age.

3. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c):

Fasting blood glucose is a measure of your blood sugar after (at least) a 12-hour fast. Although glucose levels normally fluctuate throughout the day—especially after meals—high fasting glucose levelscan indicate an issue with how the body processes glucose. If glucose isn’t used for energy right away, it can bind to the hemoglobin inside your red blood cells. And hemoglobin A1c, or HbA1c, represents the average amount of glucose in your blood for the past 90-120 days.

Glucose is the body’s primary source of fuel, and properly regulated glucose levels are essential for maintaining a healthy metabolism.

Glucose regulation also can decline with age. Research and customer data show a strong correlation between blood glucose and age—a lower glucose level is associated with younger age and vice versa. Optimized HbA1c is associated with optimal glucose levels and increased longevity.

Sleep influences glucose metabolism. Sleep loss and deprivation negatively impact insulin, a hormone responsible for helping to maintain blood sugar levels, getting more sleep may improve blood sugar in people who have experienced chronic sleep deprivation.

4. LDL cholesterol:

It’s well established that lower cholesterol levels, particularly low-density lipoprotein (LDL or bad) cholesterol, can be predictive of healthy aging. LDL carries cholesterol throughout your body, as it is an essential component of many compounds in the body, like hormones and cell membranes. But high LDL levels for extended periods of time are associated with poor health—especially poor heart health.

High levels of inflammation in the body can oxidize LDL particles, leading to the hardening of arteries. If these deposits build up, it can lead to blockages that may cause serious cardiovascular complications.

Having optimal levels of LDL cholesterol ensures metabolic processes run smoothly, whereas unoptimized LDL levels may disrupt the system. 

Healthy LDL cholesterol levels promote healthy aging. Research suggests that, for many people, LDL tends to creep up with age, and some people may also have a genetic predisposition for higher levels

5. Triglycerides: 

Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood and are the primary storage form of fat found in the body. The body uses triglycerides to store excess energy. While glucose is the body’s primary fuel source, triglycerides are broken down and used for energy between meals and during long fasting periods. Regularly consuming more calories than the body burns, particularly calories from simple carbohydrates and saturated fat, may result in increased triglyceride levels. High levels of triglycerides in your blood are a risk factor for atherosclerosis, or the thickening of artery walls. High triglyceride levels may also put you at risk for high blood pressure.

Dyslipidemia, or elevated levels of triglycerides or cholesterol in the body, is linked to numerous age-related diseases. But maintaining optimal levels as you age (not too high and not too low)0may promote quality of life and preserve your ability to carry out daily activities.